What to expect from DEI industry in 2022
During the past year and a half, companies have re-examined their diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, created new DEI positions and launched social media campaigns about their commitment. And yet, some workers are still being left behind. For example, for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 86 women are promoted, according to a 2021 report by Mckinsey and Company.
For women of color, the outlook is even worse: between the entry-level and the C-suite, representation declines by more than 75%. And only 4% of C-suite leaders are women of color.
DEI professional Adrian Sullivan said the report is evidence of more work to be done, and he predicts companies will attempt to rise to the challenge in the new year.
“I think a lot of what you’re going to see in 2022 is, how do we make real, tangible, sustainable growth?” said Sullivan, 41, of Westerville, who is president of the Central Ohio Diversity Consortium and DEI director at Worthington Industries, a metals manufacturing company.
Other local professionals agree. DEI in the forthcoming year will be about taking action, measuring outcomes against benchmark data, and being held accountable by employees and consumers who feel more empowered than ever to speak up.
Despite the increasing number of DEI jobs in the Columbus region, Sullivan said any attrition that happens in 2022 will likely be comparable to any other industry. But companies are still recruiting heavily—even if that means coaxing professionals to jump ship from other businesses.
“The talent has to come from somewhere,” Sullivan said. “You’re going to see organizations targeting those folks to say, ‘Hey, come over here and help us build what you built over there.’”
Sullivan also expects organizations to shift where DEI lives in their structure.
“It would be great to see DEI roles pop up within
“This is a part of getting better as organizations, as a city and as individuals. The more we talk about diversity, equity and inclusion, the more we’re going to learn about the experiences of individuals from underrepresented populations and what it’s like to live in their skin. We can’t fix it if we don’t know about it.”
Adrian Sullivan President of the Central Ohio Diversity Consortium and DEI director at Worthington Industries
business units, like marketing and communications, where there’s a partnership between the DEI office and these other departments, (with) folks that have a lens specifically on how DEI plays a role in these different functions,” he said.
Sullivan also said there is enough city-wide DEI data now for Columbus companies to consult.
“It’s just a matter of how are we using it,” he said. “Are we looking back to say, ‘Did we really get better from 2020 and 2021? Or are we potentially in the same spot that we’ve been in for the last couple of years because we haven’t actualized this work in a way that’s meaningful for people?”
Sullivan said one of the biggest trends he’s seen is employees being empowered to share their experiences, and he expects that to continue into 2022.
“This is a part of getting better as organizations, as a city and as individuals,” he said. “The more we talk about diversity, equity and inclusion, the more we’re going to learn about the experiences of individuals from underrepresented populations and what it’s like to live in their skin. We can’t fix it if we don’t know about it.”
According to consortium board member Jim Mcgannon, employees and the public are holding companies accountable at a greater level than ever before.
“It’s a little bit like environmental work,” said Mcgannon, 55, of Delaware, who is senior vice president of human resources at Sarnova, a distributor of health care products. “Maybe 30 or 40 years ago that wasn’t a part of a company’s image—whether you were good for the environment or bad for the environment. Today, it’s everything. If you’re doing the environmental damage as part of your business model, people don’t want to do business with you. And I think this is very much the same way. (Companies) are going have to figure it out.”
Otherwise, they will be exposed publicly, he added.
“What I read in the media is that companies made a lot of big promises, but that there was no way to ever keep them.
And they just fall on their face because they don’t have a strategy to get there.”
At Sarnova, Mcgannon has been making sure the company’s DEI efforts are as good as or better than industry benchmarks.
“(But) the second step is to re-evaluate those industry benchmarks and see if they’re really what we would consider to be adequate,” he said. “For example, (regarding) female leadership, we’re around 30% to 32%. And we know as we look across the industry, we’re just a little bit better than the average. But when you think about it objectively, is 32% the right number? Why isn’t it at 50% or some other number?”
Mcgannon said Sarnova has a fivepart strategic DEI plan, but he is most excited about increasing supplier diversity.
“That work makes a difference in society on a larger scale and brings it to life in our industry in a greater way than just our good example ever could on its own,” he said.
Consortium board member Ralonda Hampton also is enthusiastic about supplier diversity efforts at Mid-ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), where she is the diversity, inclusion and engagement officer.
This year, by partnering with the City of Columbus (and others), we were able to expand our outreach,” said Hampton, 38, of the East Side. “It just opened my eyes to new minority vendors.”
Hampton said MORPC has developed a six-part DEI work plan, and trained employees with help from the YWCA and Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.
As for 2022, she sees more work ahead for the DEI industry as a whole.
“I think we must recognize the impact of structural racism, especially regarding access to affordable housing and transportation within some of those historically marginalized and underserved communities,” she said. “You have to ask yourself or employers, ‘Are you working to address the social determinants of health and targeting Black and brown communities?’ We must be intentional, purposeful and seek action. We’re not going to be able to do this overnight, but we must continue to stay on the course.” ethompson@dispatch.com @miss_ethompson